Boxing | International

John extends nine-year reign

Chris John beat Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo on points to retain his WBA featherweight title on Friday.

The unbeaten Indonesian came through a furious test in Singapore to extend his nine-year reign as champion.

John, 33, was knocked down in the ninth round and was left reeling by an intense last-round assault by the Thai challenger.

However, he won by unanimous decision – 117-111, 119-109 and 119-109 – to complete his 17th defence of the title he has held since 2003.

John improved his record to 48 wins and two draws. Chonlatarn, 27, a former kickboxer, suffered his first loss in his 45th professional bout.

The champion entered the ring to his own theme song and he was quickly into his stride with some strong body-blows in the second round.

But he started dropping his guard and show-boating as early as the third. Chonlatarn kept landing shots and rocked the champion in a bruising sixth round when a rattled John resorted to a blow behind the head and a low punch near the kidneys.

The bout turned into a battle and Chonlatarn connected with a right that dropped John at end of the ninth round. The Indonesian indicated he had slipped, though.

John regained his composure and came back strongly, but he was left hanging on after a barrage of punches in the final round as Chonlatarn searched for the knock-out.

Earlier Indonesia's Daud Yordan also won a hard-earned unanimous decision against British based Mongolian Choijiljavyn Tseveenpurev to retain his IBO featherweight title.

Daud, 25, looked troubled by a man 16 years his senior but showed his class with some powerful shots in the final round to win 117-111, 119-110 and 118-110.

Daud, who lost to John in April last year, improved his record to 30 wins, two defeats and one no-contest.